White Flag
by BitterBreak
Summary: Everything seems to be perfect now that Sasuke's back with the one exception: he's returned with a girl and they're soon engaged. Sakura thought she's waited all this time so she could bring him happiness, but she realizes that maybe it's time to give up... And perhaps, find someone like him instead.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: Nope, I don't own Naruto

* * *

_Chapter 1: Utterly Hopeless_

One day, everything became perfect. Konoha was restored, all problems with the Akatsuki were solved, and Sasuke returned. And much to everyone's surprise, Uchiha Sasuke returned with a girl.

. . .

"Did you hear? The Uchiha returned with a girl named Mayuri…"

"Ah! I saw her this morning. She was really cute."

The two men bantered lightly about Mayuri as one of them fidgeted with his cast.

"You should stop that, Samuro-san." A pink-haired girl stepped lightly into the room, holding a tray of shots and medicine in one hand. "Any more and the cast would come off."

"Ah-ha! Is that so, Haruno-san? I mean, of course, I knew that, but –" Samuro-san tried to divert the topic away from his embarrassment. "Oh! I heard that Uchiha Sasuke was your former teammate! Do you know anything about him and Mayuri-san's relationship –"

The man beside him cut him off by giving a noticeable whack on the shoulder as he quickly whispered, "Shush! I heard that Sakura-san had a crush on him or something back when they were teammates."

'_I can hear that, idiots.'_ Sakura thought as she bit back an annoyed remark and instead gave the man a shot slightly sharper than usual. Then, Sakura was just about to leave when the door burst open to a man catching for breath.

"Recent news, everyone! Uchiha Sasuke is now _engaged_ to that girl, Mayuri!" The man by the door then saw Sakura, and backed away uncomfortably. With an awkward goodbye, he stormed out of the room to spread the news.

The two men left in the room gulped loudly as they braced themselves to face Sakura's anger. After all, she was – for those who knew – quite known for her hot temper. To their surprises however, the pink-haired girl eyed the floor as if the plain white tiles suddenly interested her greatly. Her pale hands then reached for the tray and quietly slipped out of the room.

. . .

Once her shift was over, Sakura met with Naruto for lunch at Ichiraku's. Not wanting to catch the blonde's attention, Sakura plastered on a calm smile and lightly conversed as usual… which ended up barking at Naruto for what an idiot he was, until the customers beside them caught their interest – they were talking about Sasuke.

"Hey, so I saw that girl, Mayuri, yesterday. She had flowing, warm brown hair… She was quite plain yet captivating at the same time. Ah! Speaking of which, the Uchiha boy becamed engaged –"

"AHHRGH!" Naruto suddenly stood up and dumped his ramen on the man, stopping him midsentence.

"WHAT THE HELL! Oi! What's wrong with you, brat?"

"Hey! Calm down! He's Naruto – the hero of Konoha!"

"Argh! What kind of hero _dumps_ a bowl of _ramen_?"

At this, Naruto interjected with clumsy bows of apology. "Ah! I'm really sorry, ojii-san! I thought I saw a bug in my ramen… _Hehehe_." He laughed sheepishly.

Sakura saw through this immediately and tried to keep herself from sighing. "I'll apologize for this idiot."

The men recognized her as the doctor and laughed away. "Oh, it's Sakura-san! My leg's as good as new thanks to you! I guess I'll forgive him this once. Haha!"

Naruto made a face while the pink kunoichi let out a sigh of relief and pulled Naruto to the side.

"Sa-sakura-chan?" Naruto's confusion formed to a grin as he joked, "Are you, perhaps, making a move on me? Hehe."

"Naruto." The graveness of her voice ceased all previous humour in a second and the blue eyes widened as they met hers.

"I already know, Naruto. Sasuke's engaged to Mayuri-san. I know…" Her words led to a lengthy silence as Naruto averted his gaze to the ground, smiling sadly. "What… are you going to do, Sakura-chan?"

"Nothing… I guess there's nothing I can do…" Sakura's voice trailed off again, and Naruto could read the pain in her voice. And, the hopelessness she felt.

"But. I'll talk with him. I… I have to, don't I?" They gazed into each others' eyes as Naruto broke into a smile.

"Hehe! That's the Sakura-chan I know!"

"Sakura's lips cornered upwards slightly at his words. The blonde's hands quickly reached for Sakura's shoulders as he gave her a light push.

"Go, Sakura-chan. Now. Before you lose this determination."

Sakura gave a small nod and Naruto watched her walk away in the distance.

. . .

There, she could see them by a tree. Perhaps Sasuke was taking a break from his training. Mayuri was right beside him, with a bento by her side. This was the reason why it was so hard for Sakura to approach Sasuke. It pained her to see them together like that, as if Sasuke had forgotten everything about Sakura.

'_It was one-sided love from the beginning…'_ A battle of swarming thoughts began in Sakura's mind. _'But.. what about the times we held hands? Whether he loved me or not, he held my hands quite… a lot of times.' _

Her dimming green eyes caught side of the couples' hands. There was grass between them. _'He's not holding hands with her.'_

As if on cue, Sasuke placed his left hand on top of Mayuri's. The brunette blushed quite noticeably and Sakura felt her legs give out. She really couldn't approach him like that.

Sakura was about to turn back when Mayuri brightened up from spotting her.

"Ah! Sakura-san!" Mayuri quickly got up and started walking cheerfully to Sakura.

'If this girl had any idea who I am, she should be backing off…' Fighting the urge to push her away so she could talk to Sasuke or just simply run away, Sakura breathed a light "Hello." Her green eyes quickly searched for Sasuke's but they were spacing out to the side, as if Sakura was invisible.

'_He should have felt my presence before Mayuri-san saw me… So why act like I can't even be seen?'_ Sakura's anger bitterly rose up, but clenching her fists tightly instead, Sakura turned to face the brunette now standing before her.

"Mayuri-san, right? I've heard about you a lot." Sakura extended her hands and the brunette shook it warmly.

"Sakura=san! I've also…" Her voice trailed off. "Heard about you from the villagers… They say you're a great doctor!" She finished somewhat lamely.

'_So, Sasuke hasn't said a word about me…'_ Sakura suddenly felt how little existence she was to Sasuke.

Uncomfortable with the silence, Mayuri quickly gestured a goodbye as she began, "I guess I'll see you, Sakura-san. Sasuke-kun's waiting for me…"

Sasuke-_kun_. Ugh. Every word from the brunette seemed to send daggers to Sakura, but she reached out to stop Mayuri in time.

"Wait." The brunette turned back, curious. "I'd like to talk with Sasuke."

After a momentary pause, Mayuri agreed. "Sure… Can I ask… whatever for?"

"Huh?" The simple question threw her off. "Uh, well, I _was_his former teammate after all so –"

"WHAT? You were his _former teammate_?" Mayuri gasped aloud, bringing out a silent groan from Sasuke behind her in the distance.

"I guess… Sasuke hasn't told you that." Sakura bitterly spat out the words as she averted her gaze.

Smiling – without the usual cheerfulness – Mayuri replied, "Sasuke-kun… He doesn't tell me much." Looking up to meet the surprise in Sakura's eyes, Mayuri flustered. "Haha.. I.. I guess he's just like that… Ah! You said you wanted to talk with him…"

"Ah. Yes." Mayuri's words reminded Sakura of her purpose. "It… probably won't take much time."

In the distance, Sasuke saw the two women talking for quite longer than he wanted them to. He should have just left the instant he felt the approach of Sakura's chakra. He should have, yet he found himself unable to move – to run away – like he had the first few weeks of his return.

When they seemed to be done talking, he got ready to pack up and leave with Mayuri when he noticed it was Sakura coming his way. With a sigh, Sasuke held his ground as he waited_. 'I had to confront her at some point… this is just earlier than I wanted.'_ Sasuke thought.

"Sasuke-k-" Sakura caught herself in time and frowned at herself for giving into the habit years ago.

"Sasuke."

The raven-haired stayed silent until he finally let her name slip out as if to nod.

"Sakura."

"I-I…" Sakura realized that she really had no idea what to say. Exasperated, she let the words out without thinking. "I wish you happiness." She said, admittingly. "So.. So I waited for you… I trained to become stronger. I… I thought it was possible for us to… I mean, I thought _we _were possible… I thought I could give you happiness."

Sasuke heard the helplessness in her voice, and the full mix of various emotions that drove her against the wall. Just as it had that night of Sasuke's leave years ago.

Sakura continued on. "But if… mayuri-san was the one who was able to bring you back.. I guess.. I've found my answer."

Sasuke just stood there, as if to silently acknowledge everything Sakura said. Especially the last two sentences. She couldn't take this anymore. She understood now: it was finally time to give up.

Whereas before Sakura couldn't give up on Sasuke because he was so caught up in darkness, now, Sakura had to give up for the better of both. And Haruno Sakura was not about to wave the white flag so submissively, not without the pride of her own.

With a pained smile, Sakura said, "I guess I'll just find someone like you, then. Goodbye, Sasuke."

She turned to go, and nothing stopped her. As if remembering suddenly, the pink kunoichi glanced back a final time. "I forgot… Congratulations for your engagement."

Somehow, Sasuke's eyes looked darker than his usual pool of black, but it was probably a play of her own illusion.

When Mayuri came back several minutes later, she found the raven-haired with his head hung low towards the ground.

"Sasuke-kun…?"

Sasuke kept his head low, and without looking back, he turned towards the training grounds.

"Training." Was all he muttered before Mayuri had a chance to give any sort of reply.

Mayuri replied anyway, to no one in particular.

"Ok… Ok."

* * *

To be Continued.

**a/n**: Sort of inspired from the song Someone Like You.. I only have a vague idea of how it'll turn out though.. Sigh.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer**: Nope, I don't own Naruto.

* * *

_Chapter 2: A Break_

"Sakura?

The pink kunoichi stood with her head faced towards the ground.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at the hospital? Or – oh my gosh! Did something happen to Shikamaru? Or Chouji? Or –"

Sakura's whisper cut her friend off. "No, it's nothing like that, Ino."

A confused silence filled in, only to be broken by a sudden upbeat melody.

"Ah, sorry, hang on a sec." Ino said, as she dug out her cell phone. She was about to turn it off for the sake of her distressed friend when a message lighted up.

It read: "_Ino. Emergency. Call me now. – Shikamaru._"

Letting out an exasperated sigh, she called him right away, mumbling "This better be important."

"Hello?"

"Ino! I just heard that Sasuke's engaged to that new girl – uhr, forgot her name…"

"WHAT? You tell me this _now_? Wait, oh my gosh – that's why! Oh, Shikamaru, I'll call you later." Ino quickly hung up and looked over her friend thoroughly. '_Ugh! I should have realized…!'_

Dragging Sakura inside, Ino assured her. "Sakura. Just come in for now. I'll call the hospital for you. I know you need the rest of today off."

At this, Sakura seemed to suddenly come alive, and she spat out frantically, "Ah! Wait Ino! I'm fine! I-I'll go back. I've… already talked with him."

The blonde merely saw it as whining and snapped at her. "Well?"

The pink kunoichi's eyes grew wide, and her gaze seemed to distance from the blonde. Ino softened immediately and brought her to a tight embrace.

"Sakura. Just cry. Trust me on this."

Ino… But I can't… I've vowed to become stronger and I can't cry about this…"

"Sakura! You idiot forehead! That's why you're going to cry your eyes out." After a small pause, Ino continued. "Then, I'll help you start anew."

Sakura couldn't even smile at this before her tears welled in her eyes, which then dripped down furiously.

"There, there. Slowly, gradually, you'll grow out of this. Then, you can face Sasuke again, not as some hopeless idiot in love, but as a strong, proud kunoichi and teammate. Learn from my experience, neh?"

It took her an hour before Sakura could calm down enough to chuckle at her friend's words.

. . .

Thanks to Ino's nagging, Sakura took the next morning off as well. She had slept over at Ino's and the pink kunoichi was now holding a warm cup of tea in both hands.

"Sakura, I gotta go, and I won't let you mope around here, so… oh, I don't know, go shopping or something, okay?"

The blonde's words irked Sakura, but she couldn't help but let out a small chuckle nonetheless. "Yeah, yeah. I'll be fine. Just go, Ino."

When the blonde left, Sakura lay down for an hour, doing nothing but staring at the white ceiling and… thinking. Drifting back to her memories and the face of the man she loved. Suddenly, an alarm clock rang out, the noisy "do-do-do-do-do-" filling the room.

"Ugh! What the hell –" Sakura jerked up and reached for her phone to see the time. A message lighted up at that instant.

It read: _"Sakura. An hour of moping around is enough! Now go wash your large forehead and go out to breathe some AIR! – Ino"_

The pink kunoichi laughed, amused at how unusually strict Ino seemed to be. Sakura then went to take a quick shower and stepped outside.

Well, Ino certainly seemed to know the dangers of too much thinking.

Sakura walked around the village, and found herself near Ichiraku's. It was too far to see who was there, but she guessed Naruto would be. Sighing, Sakura walked off. Naruto would surely cheer her up and distract her from thinking, but she just needed to be alone for now.

Spacing out, the pink form seemed to endlessly stroll in and around the village. Just then, a small cry snapped her from her thoughts and memories.

"SAKURA-SAAN!"

Her name came from Mayuri, who was cupping her hands to shout her name once more, while pacing around helplessly.

'_Ugh. Not_ her _of all people_…' Sakura was just about to ignore her when she spotted a black form near Mayuri. The black form was on the ground. It was probably Sasuke – no, she was _certain_ it was him.

Instinctively, the pink kunoichi ran towards them, but stopped herself from hugging Sasuke in time at the sight of Mayuri.

"Ngh… I told you not to call her!" Sasuke's eyes dangerously pierced through Mayuri, who flinched in response.

"That's it. You're scaring her, Sasuke." Sakura pulled out a small first aid kit that she kept at all times. "I'll just give you first aid, and you could head to the hospital right away." Sakura said, as she bitterly thought, '_If you don't want_ me _treating you, that is.'_

Mayuri paled, and asked cautiously. "In… this condition?"

'_I've seen worse…'_ Sakura thought, as she looked over his wounds. It wasn't fatal, but it could be if left untreated. It was just so like Sasuke to keep a wound like that.

"So… What happened?"

Mayuri looked glum then jumped from her question. "Ah! Yes, well, Sasuke-kun and Naruto-san were having a small spar. Well, it was supposed to be small, but… you could see it got a little out of hand."

"Oh?" Sakura couldn't conceal the bitterness in her face. Sasuke would spar with Naruto, but he'd never consider _her_, would he?

"Well then, where's Naruto?" Sakura got her answer as soon as she asked when she spotted an orange form not far ahead. She quickly approached him, and scanned his injuries quickly.

"Oh my gosh, Naruto!" Sakura hugged him instinctively, and Naruto flinched at his wounds.

"Ouch! Sakura-chan, that hurts… hehe"

Sasuke forced his eyes open and looked over at the two. The memories of Sakura squeezing the breath out of him through her tight hugs passed in his mind. His pale hand gripped the soil underneath him. Forcing himself up, Sasuke ignored the pain at his side, and although it was nothing compared to all his previous wounds, it hurt oddly more than usual.

Mayuri got up in alert, mumbling questions if he was alright. Sasuke just cast her away, walking towards the hospital instead.

"Sasuke!" Sakura stopped him in his tracks. "You seem to be in more pain than I thought. Should I – " Sakura's hand reached towards his wound – his chest – and almost instantly, Sasuke slapped it away.

"Don't touch me."

Sakura bit back her emotions and let the raven-haired boy continue in his tracks.

Before Mayuri went to aid Sasuke, she hesitated before she pulled Sakura aside, away from Naruto and Sasuke's hearing range. In cautious whispers, Mayuri asked in a rush.

"Sakura-san, uhm, this may sound strange, but… What do you think of Naruto-san?"

"Huh?"

Before Sakura had a chance to answer, Mayuri saw Sasuke stumble slightly in his tracks. The brunette nodded a goodbye and ran after Sasuke in a hurry.

'_Huh… I guess seeing me hug Naruto might get her thinking like that…'_ Sakura thought logically, then went over to Naruto to treat his wounds.

* * *

To be continued.

**a/n:** Hope you enjoyed :D Sorry it was a little short and the ending's a little random... ahh.. summer laziness is getting to me. Anyone else the same? (I'm sure many of you are xD) Oh yeah, Happy Canada Day :D


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer**: No way would I ever own Naruto.

* * *

Chapter_ 3: Wavering_

"So, Naruto. Care to fill me in with what happened?" Sakura asked as a warm, green glow filled the space between them.

"Sakura-chan… You don't look so good either." Naruto barely whispered, but it was enough for Sakura to press on her question. "Let's go to Ichiraku's and – OUCH!"

Sakura looked up, shifting her attention to him from the wounds she was treating. "Naruto. Don't change the topic. Sasuke's been pretty quiet since his return… and then he suddenly decides to get into a fight with you?" Her voice was steady and calm, catching Naruto's interest.

"It was a _spar_. And plus…" Naruto remained thoughtful for a moment and continued on. "You're changing the topic too." Despite the overall graveness of Sakura's disposition, the blonde pouted and carefully inspected Sakura's reaction.

Sighing, Sakura gazed the clouds with a defeated smile. "Fine, fine. Ichiraku's, it is."

As soon as those words left her mouth, Naruto stumbled back onto the ground.

"Of course, you'll drop by at the hospital first."

. . .

"Ah! Sakura-san!"

The medic-nin turned towards the voice. There stood the brunette who seemed to be calling her name awfully lot recently.

"Mayuri-san… Hello."

Sakura gave a light nod and she turned away. She knew what Mayuri wanted to ask, and she wasn't about to give an answer so easily. The time Sakura spent on worrying about Sasuke wasn't something even comparably close to Mayuri's/

"Uhm, Sakura-san…"

The brunette carefully started again, as she watched the medic-nin walk away. Really, perhaps Sakura couldn't shake off her role as a doctor, for all it took was another pleading voice to make her stop and turn back.

Sakura looked over Mayuri carefully this time. The brunette had been sitting in the waiting room for hours, and it seemed that no one had informed her of Sasuke's condition yet.

"Is Sasuke-kun…" Mayuri looked hopeful this time, as Sakura stepped towards her.

'_Just walk away. Just walk away. Let her suffer more in worry and distress, just as I had all these years.'_ Sakura felt her insides swirl in a turmoil as a cold, mean wave washed over her. _'JUST WALK AWAY, DAMN IT!'_

And still, Sakura's feet continued on towards the girl before her. Well, Haruno Sakura didn't wish anyone the pain and loneliness she had to go through. Not even Mayuri.

Wait, but wasn't it because it was Sasuke's love that she didn't want to inflict any harm? She had told him that she wished him happiness, after all.

It was too confusing. Her feelings were spinning in a huge whirlpool and she just didn't know anything anymore; she didn't know what she should feel towards Sasuke's love. Sakura let out yet another sigh.

"He'll be fine. Some major injuries here and there, but he'll live through it, like he always did." Despite the confusion, Sakura assured Mayuri anyway. And while she half expected to feel regret, Sakura immediately felt guilty instead, upon seeing the girl brighten up to her usual self.

There, before her, the brunette's face filled with a small smile and warmth seemed to radiate from her again. And all it took were these few words of reassurance. Then, a small frown took over, and the confused Mayuri spoke again.

"Huh? '_Like he always did'_…? How many injuries had he gone through before? How much pain…?" Her words drifted off.

Sakura concealed her surprise and answered calmly. "Lots." She didn't know what else to say.

The pink kunoichi saw the colors draining from Mayuri once again, and at the exact moment, Sakura realized something.

"Sasuke must have kept these things from you to protect you." Sakura voice her thought aloud, more to herself really, but Mayuri looked even more glum.

"To be honest… I wish he'd tell me his pain and sufferings." The brunette whispered, and upon hearing her voice, Sakura's heart clenched.

Mayuri sounded_… lonely_.

"He probably loves you with your warm smile, Mayuri-san." Sakura assured her. "Have faith in yourself. Oh! I really have to go now. Bye…"

Sakura's flowing pink hair didn't obscure the view of Mayuri's relieved smile as the pink medic left the room. Sakura sighed and wondered how those words came about.

Sakura would have hurried straight on ahead if not for the dark blur to her left. The green eyes widened under the bright hospital light.

"Sasuke?"

"Hn." Sasuke had been standing right next to the door. He carefully looked her over and mumbled. "Here for Mayuri."

'_As soon as he feels slightly better, he runs over to tell her he's alright…'_ The pink kunoichi found her thoughts drifting once again, picking up every word and action of the Uchiha before her.

Gazing over her, Sasuke asked calmly. "So you understand?"

'…_why I love her?'_ Sakura finished his question in his mind, as she realized that Sasuke must have overheard their conversation. Slowly, the pink kunoichi nodded. "Yea…"

Sasuke averted his gaze to the wall.

"Yes. I do." Sakura repeated firmly this time as she realized that maybe, she could accept this after all.

His dark eyes were still cast away to the blank wall that gave no answers.

"Ah! Naruto!"

The raven-haired looked up at her sudden call. He looked over to see Naruto sheepishly stepping out into the hallway.

"Naruto! What are you doing here! You should still be recovering –"

Before Sakura could finish, a pale hand slammed into the wall beside her. Her eyes widened in surprise as she inhaled the familiar scent close to her.

The last time they had been this close was when they were both trying to kill each other. Flinching from this memory, Sakura was just about to slide away but Sasuke instantly drew back first, and proceeded to open the door to the waiting room.

"I'm also recovering." Sasuke muttered under his breath, but Sakura wasn't sure if she heard this as Naruto came rushing towards her with his loud voice.

"Sakura-chan! Did something happen?" The blonde asked, breaking off the hospital silence as he gave a pat on his stomach. "Man, I'm hungry. First things first, let's go to Ichiraku's, neh?"

Sakura stood, gasping silently for the breath she had been holding in. Looking up at Naruto, she agreed.

"Yeah. Yeah, sure, Ichiraku's."

Her head spinned, and she didn't even hear her own words leaving her mouth. Uchiha Sasuke still brought her this shaky.

* * *

To be Continued

**a/n**: Ah.. It's pretty short. OH Thank you for all your reviews! They're very encouraging :D Anyway, ahh.. I don't know what to feel about the way this story is developing.. I don't know, at all! I'll continue to write nonetheless.. and soon, too, hopefully.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto...

* * *

Chapter_ 4: Intuition_

"Ah! Hot! Hot! Hot!"

"Geez, Naruto! I already warned you –"

"But Sakura-cha – OOMF!"

The hot bowl of ramen Naruto was holding crashed onto the floor.

"Ahrgh! I've had enough IDIOT!" The pink kunoichi brought down her fist and knocked the blonde to the ground.

"Ouch… Sakura-chan… I can't believe you'd punch a patient…" Naruto whined as he got himself up.

Extending a hand, Sakura grumbled. "What kind of patient almost gets himself burned by _ramen_?"

"Aww… I get really hungry after fights, you know that, Sakura-chan…"

At the mention of his fight, Sakura pulled Naruto up immediately and ordered a new bowl. "Eat slowly this time." Sakura gave a warning glare then stared into her ramen in a daze. "So… the fight?"

"It was a spar… Nothing serious, hehehe." Naruto's wide grin didn't faze Sakura one bit.

Sighing, Naruto continued in defeat. "Fine, Sakura-chan… Well… I found out something Sasuke and Mayuri-san both have in common."

Sakura looked up in interest, but went back to gazing at her ramen to conceal her curiosity.

Naruto continued on. "They… both lost their brothers."

'_Oh.'_ Sakura blinked. _'Something… I could never understand, huh?'_

The blonde looked over Sakura with worry and diverted the topic. "Sakura-chan… So, what happened yesterday? When you went to talk with Sasuke?"

"Huh?" Sakura turned towards her teammate and blinked then she looked away. "I congratulated him… for his engagement, you know?"

An apprehensive surprise washed over Naruto. "Then, you –"

"Yeah. I've let go of my feelings for Sasuke now." The pink kunoichi said, as she wondered what Naruto's reaction would be. She really had no idea.

Naruto's ramen came out, but showing no sign of notice, the blonde got up and hugged Sakura.

This was one reaction Sakura had not expected. "Naruto?" She felt his warmth envelope her in his embrace.

"Mm… You're really strong, Sakura-chan. Did anyone ever tell you that?" Naruto's words immediately brought a smile to Sakura's face as she replied back playfully. "Oh, and you realize that now?"

"Sakura-chan." Naruto's voice didn't return the same playfulness. "You have a lot of courage. I can imagine how hard that must have been… to confront him, and to let go."

The corners of Sakura's mouth widened into a smile, but her green eyes showed a pool of sadness. As much as an idiot Naruto was, Sakura thanked him silently for his words and returned his hug tighter.

The fast approaching footsteps soon broke their embrace as the two looked up. Sakura brightened up upon seeing her, well, _other_ blonde friend.

"Ino!"

"Sakura! I was wondering where you were!"

"Did something happen?" Sakura asked curiously.

The blonde gave a light pat on her head. "I was worried, duh." A touch of pink spread in Ino's face after admitting her worry.

Ino looked over at Naruto, who returned with a curious stare. Pulling Sakura over, Ino urgently led the pink kunoichi away.

"Uh… Ino?"

Once they were a safe distance away, a teasing grin broke out into Ino's face.

"What was that _intense embrace_ for, Sakura?" Ino peered over, covering her mouth to hide her laughs.

"What? Ino! It's not like you've never seen me hug Naruto, geez." Sakura rolled her eyes and shrugged.

"Well, that idiot seemed super serious for once!" A few snickers escaped her mouth as Ino went on. "That hug was _different_ than the usual, I swear! I think I saw _sparks_ flying!"

"Uh, well, it did seem… warmer?" Sakura regretted as soon as she said those words when she realized where all this was heading.

"WARMER? Oh my gosh, Sakura! Of all the words…" Ino burst out laughing, which caught some uneasy glimpses from the passersby.

"Sakura, do you know how _worried_ I was? And now I found you with _Naruto _who hugs you _warmly._" Ino teased, the wide grin unfading.

Sakura sighed as she muttered under her breath. "Oh geez, first it's Mayuri-san, and now it's you…"

"Huh? Did Mayuri say something too?" Ino perked up with a mix of curiosity and regret that she brought up this touchy topic.

"She just asked me what I think of Naruto." Sakura answered nonchalantly. "What, do we look like couples or something?" The pink kunoichi asked bluntly, rolling her eyes and tried to wave away Ino.

"Oh my gosh! That's _perfect,_ Sakura!" Ino brightened up and her grin widened even further. "A new start! With none other than…" Ino paused for effect – and to giggle – as she continued in a dramatic voice. "NARUTO!"

All the villagers around them shifted their attention to the two friends while Ino laughed hysterically. When Sakura realized that surrounding villagers whisper among themselves, she dragged Ino away as she tried to keep down her irritation.

"Ino-pig. I'm going to kill you!" Sakura hissed threateningly.

. . .

A long sigh sounded. "First, she drags me over, and then she just leaves. I don't think I can ever understand women." Shikamaru said lazily as he glanced at Naruto.

"I agree with you on this one." The blonde replied. "At least I wasn't left alone."

"Why? You wanna talk?" Shikamaru examined Naruto carefully. "That was a pretty long hug, by the way."

The blonde felt a blush strike across his face as he tried to laugh away his embarrassment.

"But… there's something else, isn't there?" Shikamaru continued on once Naruto quieted down. "Come."

Naruto spaced out as he thought back to his fight with Sasuke, while he followed Shikamaru. They approached a small hill, close to Asuma's grave.

"Hey, Naruto. I'm going to take a nap." Shikamaru said as he lay down and closed his eyes.

When no response followed, Shikamaru opened one eye to peek and added, "Whatever it is, talking about it makes it feel better." _'Or so Ino says'_ He added silently. "Either way, don't disturb me; I'll be sleeping."

Naruto chuckled softly as he started. "Well… I had a fight with Sasuke. Tell the others it was just a spar though."

Despite having said that he'd sleep, Shikamaru slowly opened his eyes and gazed at the clouds.

"Sasuke admitted he didn't love Mayuri-san. But I wasn't surprised. Maybe I expected that. I was more furious though."

The blonde lay down as well and gazed at the passing clouds. It took a while before Naruto continued.

"It was frustrating. I could practically see Mayuri-san fussing over him and he says he doesn't love her?"

The warm gusts of wind swayed the grass back and forth, tickling their faces.

"There was something he said that bothers me though." Naruto continued. "It was so obvious that Mayuri-san loved him, but he said that wasn't true."

The blonde turned his head to his right. "Shikamaru? I don't know what to believe."

His gaze at the sky unwavering, Shikamaru spoke softly. "I may have an incredulously high IQ, but I think you're better at figuring out things like that. You know, your intuition?"

Naruto chuckled as he shifted his attention to the sky once again. After a lengthy pause, Naruto confessed.

"I told him I love her"

Shikamaru didn't have to use his brain to figure out who that was.

"Sometimes… I wonder if I'm like Mayuri-san." Naruto closed his eyes and felt the breeze dance with his hair. "I don't know if it's obvious to others that I love her, but I can tell Sakura-chan doesn't reciprocate my feelings."

Shikamaru took a glance at Naruto. "Then what was the idiotic grin you had back there at Ichiraku's? That was some hug, you know."

Naruto smiled with a hint of sadness and closed his eyes. The blonde drifted to his thoughts while Shikamaru really fell asleep this time.

* * *

**a/n:** Thank you to my readers and reviewers! I appreciate it very much! No Sasuke in this chapter :p And I'm sorry it's short.. I'll try to make it up by updating more frequently.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto

* * *

_Chapter 5: Shaken_

It was a long time before Naruto opened his eyes.

"Shikamaru?"

No reply. Slowly, the blonde got up and looked around in a daze. In the corner of his eye, he spotted a small form by a tree.

'_Hinata-chan? What's she doing there?'_ Naruto wondered as he approached the shy figure, who took a step back in a startle.

"Na-Naruto-kun! I-I wasn't t-trying to w-watch you s-s-sleep – I-I mean…" Hinata stuttered madly as a wave of rose colored her pink face. "Oh! That's right! I was looking for Kiba-kun!" Her face brightened up at the relief of safely changing topics.

The blonde grinned and offered, "I'll go look for Kiba with you, Hinata-chan." And as he picked himself off the ground, he thought, _'And there, maybe I can check up on Sakura-chan too.'_

. . .

The pink medic was back in her office and sorting out the paperwork that was due past yesterday. Unfazed, Sakura went straight to the big pile and started filling it out when an approaching storm of stomps loudly interrupted her midway. The door banged open.

"SAKURA!"

"Huh? Oh, Kiba-kun… What's wron – "

"It's Akamaru! Can you take a look at him?"

Stopping herself from rolling her eyes, Sakura bit back her irritation.

"I'm not a vet, Kiba-kun. Anyhow, can you please sign up for an appointment or –" The medic stopped midsentence when Kiba held out Akamaru to her.

Sakura's green eyes softened considerably as soon as she saw Akamaru with several fractured bones and a deep gash of blood across its back.

"I'll take a look at it."

. . .

Sakura had told Kiba to stay in the waiting room. After a final glow of green, Akamaru was back to its healthy state – playful, even – as it fumbled with Sakura's pink hair. When Sakura put it down to clear away the scraps of bandages, Akamaru jumped over to the door.

Sakura vaguely noticed the stains of Akamaru's blood on her left arm as she opened the door and walked after the dog over to the waiting room.

Perfectly recovered, Akamaru had already gone past the corner and Sakura hurried after it when she came to a startling stop. Someone had grabbed her arm.

When she looked up, it was Sasuke, gripping her left wrist and eyeing the blood on her arm.

_Thump thump thump_

As soon as he lifted up however, he sensed that nothing was wrong with Sakura for it wasn't her blood.

_Thump thump thump_

'_Why isn't he letting go?_' The seconds dragging on felt like hours and Sakura was sure the Uchiha before her heard her heart wildly beating despite her silent protest.

Slowly, in a meticulous gesture, Sasuke loosened the grips and Sakura's slender wrist slid down. Their fingers touched for the briefest moments as it did so.

As Sasuke continued on his way and walked away, Sakura realized that those seconds haven't been long actually. In fact, it had been over too fast.

'_Wait! What am I thinking? Snap out of it, Sakura!'_ The pink medic's left hand hung trembling by her side while the other reached up slowly to pinch her face. _'Snap. Out.'_

The tingling from Sasuke's touch still lingered in her hand, her eyes, and her heart.

It took a few minutes before Sakura calmed herself and headed for the waiting room.

. . .

Inside, the pink kunoichi found Kiba and Mayuri laughing, together with Akamaru between them.

When Sakura faked a cough, the three turned around and greeted her cheerfully. Then, suddenly alarmed as if remembering something, the brunette started.

"Ah! Uhm, I was waiting for Sasuke-kun while he gets a check-up done, Sakura-san…" Mayuri peered out curiously from underneath her curly brown bangs.

"I see…" Sakura trailed off as she realized Mayuri studying her face. "Uh… Is there something on my face?"

"Huh? Oh! No, not at all! It's just…"

The pink kunoichi waited patiently for her to go on.

"…nothing." The brunette finished lamely.

"Oh, Mayuri, do you mean when Sasuke was talking in his sleep or something?" Kiba continued for her instead.

Mayuri looked up at Kiba and fidgeted as she cautiously nodded.

"You told _me_, so I think it's okay to tell her." Kiba spoke out thoughtfully, then gave a reassuring smile at Mayuri. "In fact, if anyone needs to know, it's her."

Sakura stood by curiously, with a small fear at the mention of Sasuke at the same time.

"Is… something wrong with his wounds?" Sakura started, then asked the question with a mix of hope and fear. "Should I take a look?"

"Oh! No, it's not that at all…" The brunette took a peek at Kiba, who gave a nod for her to go on. "Well, I was watching over Sasuke-kun yesterday while he was recovering… and he started mumbling a name."

The pink medic held her breath.

"To be exact, _your_ name, Sakura-san."

Mayuri continued the next bit in words so fast Sakura almost missed it. "He was sweating and it looked like he was having a nightmare – I really don't know – so I just woke him up and it was fine after that."

When the awkward silence followed, Kiba smiled softly and patted the brunette's head.

"You did good telling her, Mayuri."

The brunette squeaked out a "yeah" and Sakura – in the middle of her heart beating frantically – caught the blushing Mayuri.

'_Wait… Blushing?'_ Sakura had no time to think however, when Kiba got up and Akamaru jumped around as they made their way out.

"I'll see you guys later. Sakura, thanks a lot for Akamaru."

When the door shut and Kiba's waving hand and Akamaru's barks were long gone, Mayuri whispered softly to herself.

"Kiba-kun's so nice…"

In her face held a silly grin like she was in some sort of a dreamy state.

Sakura broke into a small smile as the blushing brunette reminded her fiercely of Hinata.

"Do you like him, Mayuri-san?"

"Huh? I-I-well, Kiba-kun's really nice and…" The next part was barely a whisper. "… and cute…"

'_Oh gosh, she likes him.'_ Sakura giggled in her thoughts then halted instantly when she thought of Sasuke.

Based on their situation, it didn't seem possible that Mayuri would like Kiba, but if she did… Then what did it mean?

* * *

To be continued.

**a/n:** A wave of apologies: I was at a camp so I'm sorry for this late chapter. Now, in the story, I wasn't sure what kind of honorifics I should use when writing any of the character's parts (especially Kiba), so if anyone could point it out, that would be greatly appreciated. Ok. Now, about the bit of Mayuri and Kiba... I'm ready for any flames _ I had planned this out from the beginning so it wasn't too much of a spur of the moment. I know the story doesn't flow well especially after not having written for a while, but I hope you can overlook this! Finally, an apology for this long a/n LOL


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Naruto

**a/n:** Sasuke's POV... I'm sorry for the late AND short chapter, but I honestly don't know how I can continue this... and if I'm even going towards the right direction. So I would be really grateful if you could tell me what you think about Sasuke's feelings here...Thank you so much for all my readers so far by the way!

* * *

_Chapter 6: Nightmare and Fears_

Darkness.

It was the most faithful companion Sasuke had. It shook him with fear when he was a kid but now…

'_comforting' _He thought blankly.

Then ahead of him appeared a single streak of light.

'_not again…'_

The pale moon grinned a twisted smile, but it wasn't reflected in Itachi's eyes. In fact, Itachi was nowhere to be seen.

Sasuke's eyes drifted below to see the death of his parents. It made him sick to admit it, but he had seen this play out too many times already that he already knew what to expect.

The moon had smiled on a girl instead.

Sakura.

'_no…'_ He stared disbelievingly.

'_no…'_ Sasuke willed himself to continue standing up, but upon meeting eyes with the dead girl, his knees gave out.

"_NOOO!"_

. . .

"Hah. Hah."

"Sasuke-kun! What's wrong?"

His hazy mind made out a brunette who quickly came to his side. She made motion to hug him, but Sasuke gently brushed her off while wiping away a sweat.

"Another nightmare?"

When no answer followed, Mayuri continued on with worry. "It's always like this… Especially lately.. You have recurring nightmares, don't you? You always wake up this way. You can… tell me about your nightmares, you know?"

The brunette let out a small gap and cautiously asked, "Are they… about your brother?"

The Uchiha looked at Mayuri then, and saw the pain of remembering her own brother as she said those words. Slowly, he shook his head but…

They were broken, the two of them.

'_What about now?'_ A voice within Sasuke started_. 'Are you lonely? Frustrated? Angry? Lost? In pain?'_

'_The answer is none of the above, Sasuke. It is simply _fear._ The fear that if you care too much, you will lose them. You cared too much about Itachi, and then you lost him. You cared too much about your clan, but what's changed?'_

'… _At lease Mayuri was already broken when you first met her. Everyone around you will break at some point.'_

"Sasuke!"

He jerked up then, the devil's words dissipating away.

Mayuri peeked out from the door. "She was in the hall, so I called her in…"

He was staring into the eyes of a pink kunoichi. Sakura's eyes had the hospital lights dancing in them, appearing so vibrant and… _alive._

Then, the haunting voice came back. _'Remember you tried to kill her too? Kill her before she breaks in front of you. One day, that light in her eyes will disappear. And you would be the one to blame –"_

"Why do you look so guilty – no one's blaming you, Sasuke." Sakura voiced aloud, while knowing it wasn't entirely true – half the patients she had treated always had something to badmouth about Sasuke, and if not Sasuke, the Uchiha clan.

"Whether you've broken my heart before or not, I – Naruto, Kakashi-sensei, and everyone – we believe in you." _'To crawl out from that darkness' _Sakura added silently. "So don't suffer alone… You have Mayuri-san."

Sakura hesitantly turned to Mayuri, and with a small nod of goodbye, she left the room.

Once she was gone, the brunette came over with curiosity blatant on her face as she asked, "What did she mean by "_you've broken my heart_"? Did she lo–" Mayuri came to an abrupt pause after glimpsing one look at Sasuke's expression. She knew better to stop pushing him on.

'_That's right. I forgot the most important part: you've already broken her heart. It would be even easier to break her the second time.'_

'_Damn it. Damn it. DAMN IT!'_

"SASUKE-KUN!" Mayuri yelled out, tears threatening to burst. "Stop suffering alone. I'll help you make things better, neh?"

Sasuke turned his head away, and muttered softly with an agonized frown. "I'm already trying."

He got up then, and Mayuri followed. "Where are you going, Sasuke-kun?"

"Training."

'_He always says that.'_ Mayuri let out a sigh and watched him go.

. . .

'You're trying the wrong way.' The blonde idiot had said during the last time they had fought, and it was now playing repeatedly in Sasuke's mind.

'This is just my way…' Sasuke thought defensively, and stopped once he reached a training place close to the hospital.

Here, Sasuke felt her presence – ever so faintly – and that was enough as he started making hand signals for a jutsu to commence his training.

* * *

To be continued. (hopefully :))


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Naruto... It's getting annoying to say this every time now :p

**A/N**: I've edited the beginning of chapter 5 slightly of the** hinted NaruHina part, where Naruto's possible interest in her has been deleted**... Because I really want to portray NaruSasuSaku-ness but NaruHina will get in the way. (I hope no offense is taken to any NaruHina fans out there)... Now, a sincere apology for such a late update.. I've been realizing & brooding about how... bad my writing is. Especially after reading "Blind" - the SasuSaku fanfic with the top reviews, for anyone who doesn't know. I honestly can't believe myself I got this much reviews for this story so far, because I myself doesn't want to read it haha, So a **sincere thank you** to all my readers and reviewers!

* * *

_Chapter 7: Coward_

The next day, Uchiha Sasuke awoke from yet another nightmare, its indelible images burned to his mind for the rest of the day. That is, until a certain blonde came storming towards him, and the Sharingan holder would have been crushed had he not sidestepped at the last second.

"SASUKE-!" Naruto instantly retaliated from the ground, not bothering to wipe away the dirt on his face. Sasuke held his bland expression and gave his friend a slight nod as to question his anger.

Naruto did not faze away and instead charged forward again, his eyes threatening to turn into red slits. The blonde drew back his arm in a rush, then thrust it towards Sasuke, who swung his body away with impressive celerity, holding back the blonde's punch with a bare hand.

"You want to talk with fists?" Sasuke questioned in amusement.

Naruto calmed down infinitesimally, and tried to keep his voice steady as he spoke. "It's your fault. Sakura-chan…"

'_Sakura?'_ Sasuke quickly masked his alert and curiosity, and he egged Naruto on cooly with a statement. "Something happened to her." The image of the morning's nightmares flashed by and Sasuke quickly continued. "Is she hurt?"

"Sakura-chan." The previous tremors were gone as Naruto spoke up with a newfound determination. "She wasn't a coward."

Irritation was blatant on Sasuke's face as he urged him on. "What does that have to do with anything?"

This time, Naruto made sure to gaze into Sasuke's eyes as he continued. "Sakura-chan wasn't a coward, unlike someone here." The Sharingan user was utterly perplexed, but a tiny gash somewhere inside him was inflicted by the blonde's words.

"Sakura-chan I knew was honest to her feelings – unlike _someone_" Naruto emphasized again, and there was such strong intensity to his eyes that Sasuke slightly shifted his gaze to the ground.

"So what's your point, dobe?" He said, as he tried to brush Naruto away. Something snapped inside Naruto again as he slammed his hand into Sasuke's shoulder, his fingers crushing in deeply. Sasuke stood there, unflinching.

"Sakura-chan," Naruto gritted through his teeth, obvious pain in his eyes as he spoke the words. "confessed to me."

Sasuke raised his eyebrows, seeing nothing wrong, for after all, they were close comrades – confessing secrets and feelings weren't all that uncommon. Then, it registered in his mind as two words descended to his thoughts. _'Love confession?'_

His raven hair was very still, and Naruto silenced to wait for some form of response.

"Hah."

A smile crept into Sasuke's face, awkward, yet persistent.

"Hahaha!" His pale hands gripped Naruto's hand free from his shoulder. "I get the joke now – who would ever ask _you_ out? _But_, I understand. She's a girl, so it's only to be expected."

Sasuke turned to leave, but Naruto's words froze him in his tracks.

"I love Sakura-chan."

Inwardly, Sasuke flinched, but it hadn't come as that much of a surprise, he realized. Somewhere within him, he had known all along – Naruto's feelings for Sakura. Sure, it seemed like an immature crush when they were all genin, but – Sasuke had to admit – that idiot had grown up after all. While Naruto appeared to be oblivious to many things, it seems that he had come to understand accept his own feelings for Sakura.

Without turning around to face him, Sasuke asked, choosing his words carefully. "So what are you complaining about?" There was a pause. "Oh, you want me to congratulate you guys?" Sasuke's hand reached up to rub his chin, as if to contemplate. "But aren't you being ironic here, Naruto? I don't ever recall you having congratulated me and Mayuri."

"Face me, Sasuke." Naruto's fists were trembling. "I know there are some feelings between you and Mayuri-san, but even I can tell that it's not love." Sasuke stayed still. "Maybe pity for each other, or sympathy… But whatever it is, you better not be _toying _with her."

At that last remark, Sasuke instantly flashed in front of Naruto, his hands threatening to kill inches away from the blonde's neck. "Watch it, Naruto."

"Haha!" Naruto let out a sarcastic laugh. "I know you're not simply toying with her. I know it, and that's it. I know _you,_ and it's as simple as that. And that's why I want you to be sincere with your feelings as well, because Sakura-chan is becoming…" Naruto's voice trailed off, and the next part came in barely audible whispers. "… a coward, like you. I also know Sakura-chan well, and I can tell… How much you still affect her."

Sasuke felt it, as his friend's words shook up his entire body: Naruto was in pain. Damn it, he had already hurt the two enough, and he sure didn't want that to happen a second time.

"Sakura…" Sasuke took a silent gulp. "loves you, dobe. She confessed, as I remembering hearing from a certain loud-mouthed idiot."

"Stop _denying_, Sasuke!" Naruto's heightened tone was desperate now, and Sasuke saw it – Naruto's willingness to sacrifice his own happiness for Sakura's, and the idiot was totally convinced that Sasuke could bring that happiness. The blonde continued, trying hard to make Sasuke understand, and Naruto was right: he understood Sasuke, but Sasuke also understood Naruto. "I told you I _know_ you –"

"Hn." Sasuke smirked, and he leaned in forward, until his mouth was barely inches away from Naruto's ear.

"That's why I'm telling you to make her happy." He breathed, and a pause followed before he finished. "For me." Before Naruto could turn to face him – to be able to see the feelings when one gazes onto another's eyes – Sasuke had disappeared off, perhaps for more training.

* * *

To be continued.


End file.
